USS ''Sampson'' (DDG-102) is an in the United States Navy. Funding for the Flight IIA (5"/62, one 20mm CIWS variant) ship was authorized in 2002 and her keel was laid on 20 March 2005. She is the fourth US Navy ship named to honor Rear Admiral William T. Sampson. She was built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. At her christening on 16 September 2006, the principal address was delivered by

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Susan Collins of Maine, and the vessel was christened by Clara Parsons, great-granddaughter of Rear Admiral Sampson and daughter of William Sterling Parsons, as the ship's sponsor.

History

She was commissioned in Boston, Massachusetts on 3 November 2007 and home ported in San Diego. Her maiden deployment was from October 2009 to May 2010 to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf as part of the carrier strike group (CSG). After ''Sampson'' returned from an 8-month maiden deployment, she was back underway from May to August with port visits to the 103rd Portland Rose Festival and Esquimalt, British Columbia to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy. She then participated in Exercise RIMPAC off the coast of Hawaii. ''Sampson''s crew was awarded two Sea Service Ribbons in 12 months. In August 2011 ''Sampson'' pulled into South Harbor in Seattle, Washington, to participate in Seattle's Seafair celebration. In September, ''Sampson'' dispatched an inflatable boat and swimmers to retrieve about 60 bales of assorted drugs from the ocean after a small boat dumped them overboard. After that the ship participated in 's Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), in preparation for an independent deployment. In February 2012 ''Sampson'' departed San Diego for a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific and Middle East. In July, ''Sampson'' participated in at-sea phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Singapore. On 29 December 2014, ''Sampson'' was dispatched to the

Java Sea The Java Sea ( id, Laut Jawa, jv, Segara Jawa) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its nort ...

to search for Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 that disappeared the day before. In 2016 the ship remained assigned to

Destroyer Squadron 23 Destroyer Squadron 23 (DESRON 23) is a squadron of United States Navy destroyers based out of San Diego, California. The squadron is best known for its actions during World War II, most notably the Battle of Cape St. George, under the command ...

, working with

Carrier Strike Group 11 Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG-11 or CARSTRKGRU 11) is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Carrier strike groups gain and maintain sea control as well as project naval airpower ashore. The aircraft carrier is the strike group's current flagship. O ...

. She arrived at her new homeport, Naval Station Everett in Washington, on 26 September 2016. The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) invited the United States Navy to send a vessel to participate in the RNZN's 75th Birthday Celebrations in Auckland over the weekend of 19–21 November 2016. ''Sampson'' was the first US warship to visit New Zealand in 33 years since the New Zealand nuclear-free zone came into effect and the US suspended its obligations to New Zealand under the ANZUS treaty. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key granted approval for the ship's visit under the New Zealand's anti-nuclear law, which requires that the Prime Minister has to be satisfied that any visiting ship is not nuclear armed or powered. Soon after arriving in New Zealand, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Kaikoura. ''Sampson'' along with other navy ships from Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore were dispatched directly to the area to provide humanitarian assistance. On 3 October 2017, ''Sampson'' departed her homeport for a scheduled deployment with the CSG. She returned 9 May 2018 after seven months. In January 2022, ''Sampson'' responded to Tonga to provide assistance following the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami. In May 2022, ''Sampson'' was a part of Destroyer Squadron 2, along with Carrier Strike Group 3 led by the . ''Sampson'' participated in RIMPAC 2022.

Awards

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...

– (July 2009 – March 2010) *

Battle "E" The Battle Effectiveness Award (formerly the Battle Efficiency Award, commonly known as the Battle "E"), is awarded annually to the small number of United States Navy ships, submarines, aviation, and other units that win their battle effectiveness c ...

– (2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) * Humanitarian Service Medal – (17–20 November 2016)

2016 Kaikoura earthquake Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film ...

Spokane Trophy The Spokane Trophy is awarded by Commander United States Pacific Fleet on a cycle basis to the surface combatant ship considered to be the most proficient in overall combat systems readiness and warfare operations. The nomination will be submitted ...

Award – (2010) * Arizona Memorial Trophy – (2011–2012) * Retention Excellence Award – (2008, 2014, 2017) * Vice Admiral

Thomas H. Copeman III Thomas Henry Copeman III (born 1959) is a retired officer of the United States Navy. In mid-2009 he was appointed commandant of the Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. His final assignment was as Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific fr ...

Material Readiness Award – (2014) * Safety Excellence Award – (2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019)

In popular culture

* The ship is featured in the 2012 film ''

Battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

'' where she is destroyed and sunk by aliens during the intense combat in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii with its sister ship .

Gallery

USS Sampson (DDG-102) at sea.jpg, ''Sampson'' during sea trials, 2007 USS Sampson Christening.jpg, The commissioning of USS ''Sampson'' Guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) arrives to celebrate Portland Fleet Week during the 103rd annual Rose Festival.jpg, Sailors man the rails of ''Sampson'' as she arrives to celebrate Portland Fleet Week festivities during the city's 103rd annual Rose Festival. USS Sampson - Port Quarter View.jpg, Stern view of ''Sampson''

References

External links